I just got a 8703e and I'm loving it! I just had a question about ... RIM Blackberry 87xx forum

USb charging

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I just got a 8703e and I'm loving it! I just had a question about USB charging.

I've done a bunch of searching here to figure out what the deal with USB charging is. Obviously it works because the factory charger that my phone came with is a usb plug and it charges the phone just fine.

The USB cable charges with my computer but only when the bb desktop software is running. Since I am on a mac, I run bb desktop in a parallels vm with the vm loaded and bb desktop running the device charges. Then I can shutdown the entire VM and the phone keeps charging so obviously there is some sort of software trigger to start the charging circuit.

I understand all the issues where the USB spec only supplies 500mA of current from a single usb port but the phone really needs 1A to charge adequately.

I have many chargers laying around that supply USB power at 1A for various other devices but when I plug in the same usb cable I use with my computer for charging into one of these USB power supplies the phone refuses to charge.

Does anyone know what triggers the phone to start the charging process? Can a standard usb cable be hacked to support charging with out using a RIM charger or BB desktop? I see various 3rd party chargers available for sale that all supply 5V @ 1A via a usb port but I am reluctant to purchase them since a) I have like 5 different AC and auto chargers that already do this, and b) if those don't work I don't see how the ones for sale are any different or I must be able to hack a cable to enable charging.

Anyone know what the technical details are behind the USB charging functionality?

Re: USb charging

Re: USb charging

I just rebooted my mac laptop with the phone plugged into the usb port a VIOLA! charging without the need for any drivers or loading up windows. Still doesn't work with any of my usb chargers though :-(.

Re: USb charging

Originally Posted by jameschho

I just rebooted my mac laptop with the phone plugged into the usb port a VIOLA! charging without the need for any drivers or loading up windows. Still doesn't work with any of my usb chargers though :-(.

It lied, when the machine rebooted it showed the lighting bolt charging icon but after unplugging it from the computer I realized it actually did nothing. grrrrr....

Re: USb charging

jameschho, Welcome to PinStack.

About the chargers, the BB needs a smart charger, one that it can tell to feed the 500 mA to start and then to slow down the charge rate when it gets charged. And my BB wall charger is limited to 750 milliAmps. I agree with wangler, if you have the lightning bolt it is charging, Maybe not at the full rate but it is charging. The USB wall charger, if it's not the OEM charger, probably can't communicate with the BB to be told to start/up the charging.